The Anxiety of Kalix the Werewolf (75 page)

“Where's Moonglow?” said Vex.

Daniel didn't know.

“Maybe she's gone to see William?”

Daniel was alarmed. “Don't say that!”

“Why not?”

“I don't want her to see him, that's why.”

Vex teased her hair into shape. “It's OK, I just remembered where she is.”

“Where?”

“She's gone to see William.”

Daniel sighed. “This hasn't gone the way I expected. I thought that Moonglow would be more affected after I slept with Gezinka.”

“What, and leap into your arms after realizing she always loved you?”

“Yes.”

“I have seen that happen in Ultimate Boyfriend,” said Vex. “So you never know. But I think you're just meant to let it happen naturally.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, not mention it all the time.”

“I didn't mention it all the time.”

“Yes, you did,” said Vex. “You kept bragging about sleeping with that woman.”

“Maybe I should have been more discreet,” said Daniel. “Like you are about Pete.”

“Exactly. No one likes to hear endless tales about someone's girlfriend, it gets really tedious. Do you think you'll ever see Gezinka again?”

“I doubt it. She probably never thought about me after that night.”

Daniel remembered Lady Gezinka fondly. For a brief encounter with an older woman, it had all gone very well. Unfortunately, it hadn't been enough to drive Moonglow into his arms.

“Anyway, what if I did mention it a few times?” said Daniel. “Moonglow keeps going on about William.”

“No, she doesn't.”

“Yes, she does. William does this. William does that. William has nice clothes.”

Vex laughed. “He'd be a good boyfriend if he wasn't gay. Bye.” Vex headed for the door.

Daniel sprinted after her. “Wait a minute. What do you mean he's gay?”

Vex looked puzzled. “Well, I thought you'd know what that means.”

“I know what it means!” cried Daniel.

“Then why did you ask?”

“I meant . . .” Daniel paused to organize his thoughts, knowing that a conversation with Vex could become hopelessly confused if you didn't approach it properly. “I mean why did no one tell me he was gay?”

“I don't know.”

“I wouldn't have been bragging about my night with Gezinka unless I'd thought Moonglow was sleeping with William.”

“I have to go or I'll be late,” said Vex brightly. “It's so nice having a boyfriend. You should get—”

“I know,” sighed Daniel.

Vex rushed out the door, leaving Daniel thoughtful and dissatisfied.

Daniel was wrong about Lady Gezinka. She had thought of him, quite kindly. She didn't regret sleeping with him, though she didn't enjoy the mockery the affair had engendered from the Empress. Kabachetka had amused her friends with her anecdote about the staid and respectable Gezinka and her brief fling with a young man at the ball.

“Poor Gezinka was quite worn out afterward. She could hardly hold her head up in the palace the next day. Though whether that was tiredness or shame, I am not certain.”

Gezinka bridled under the mockery, though she smiled as good-naturedly as she could. Unfortunately, her powers of protecting her aura were no match for the Empress's powers of discerning emotions, and Kabachetka could tell she was discomfited.

“Really, Gezinka, one would have hoped you could find a better companion than a poor little student boy. If you had to give in to your passions, could you not have chosen some young man who had two shillings to rub together?”

There was great hilarity among the Empress's friends.

“I swear he was there in a rented suit,” continued the Empress. “It fitted him in one or two places, but not in most.”

The Empress had invited her closest friends to admire her new bag, with which she was very pleased. It had been produced by her personal sorcerers, made with the specific purpose of carrying clothes from one dimension to another.

“It is always such a problem,” declared the Empress. “I lose count of the frocks and shoes I've damaged along the way. And one shrinks from paying Merchant MacDoig's prices for his transportation services. With this bag I can take a spare set of clothes, with no worry of frock injury.”

The Letaka sisters, cousins of the Empress, admired the new bag. They had never traveled to London, but knew of their Empress's adventures in the fashion world there.

“I thought they would never finish designing it,” said the Empress. “But Bakmer hurried them along. Really, since recalling him, he has been most eager to please. Much like Lady Gezinka in the hotel, one might say.”

At this, Lady Tecton laughed so hard she almost choked. One of the Letaka sisters pounded her on the back.

“The pounding and gasping,” cried the Empress. “It reminds me of the noises that emerged from Gezinka's hotel room!”

There was more laughter. Lady Gezinka bore it as well as she could, but as she lay in bed that night, on her own, she felt a great deal of resentment toward the Empress and her mockery.

CHAPTER 144

Wallace MacGregor was one of the largest werewolves in Scotland. Possibly the largest, since the death of Sarapen. The eldest son of Baron MacGregor was a fierce werewolf, and extremely strong. He'd never been defeated till the day Markus MacRinnalch surprised everyone by beating him in single combat outside the gates of Castle MacRinnalch. The MacGregors, MacAllisters and MacPhees had been besieging the castle, but all hostilities had come to a halt while the fight took place. The MacRinnalchs cheered him from the battlements, and Markus's victory had been instrumental in securing his position as Thane. Though many werewolves regarded him as unsuitable, there could be no more questions about his courage.

Wallace MacGregor was honorable as well as fierce, and strode into Castle MacRinnalch without any feelings of animosity. Having been defeated in a fair fight, he didn't hold a grudge. When the Thane called for werewolves to travel to London, he'd volunteered for the mission. The Mistress of the Werewolves welcomed him sincerely. It was good to have such a strong ally. Wallace brought three other MacGregors, joining the four MacPhees and four MacAllisters who'd already arrived. The MacAllisters were led by Morag, sister of the young baron. Like her
brother, she was not sympathetic to Markus. However, she was a warlike character and liked the idea of going to London to fight. Morag was not tall, but she had a certain stockiness about her, and was known to be strong when she transformed. There were some MacAllisters who could only change into their werewolf form around the time of the full moon, but Morag could do it on any night, as could her companions. That was necessary if the attack was to take place soon.

“In the next day or two, we hope,” Verasa told Morag. “We're just waiting for confirmation from Dominil.”

The twelve werewolves, plus two more from the MacAndris clan, were making the journey to London in separate vehicles. Though it was regarded as unlikely that the Guild could get close enough to the castle to spy, Dominil insisted on tight security, and wanted no unusual behavior. The attackers were to travel in small groups to London, before assembling at Thrix's apartment.

Markus spoke to all the participants after they arrived. He was calm and authoritative, and confident about their chances of success. His confidence was felt by the whole assault group, and spread around the castle, so that in the days preceding the attack, there was less worry than might have been expected. The feeling grew among the MacRinnalch Clan that their Thane was right. Something had to be done about the Avenaris Guild.

There were a few who remained unenthusiastic. Decembrius for one, though he kept his thoughts mostly to himself. As far as he could see, the clan was rushing into an attack without proper preparation. He did confide to his mother, in a moment of depression, that he believed the attack was being driven more by Thrix's fury and Dominil's wounded pride than by good sense.

“Thrix has been irrational since Minerva was killed. And Dominil just can't stand it that the Guild outsmarted her.”

“I don't think Dominil would do anything unless she thought it was right for the clan,” said his mother Lucia.

“That's the impression she gives. But if she hadn't been involved that day when Minerva was killed, I don't think she'd be so keen on rushing into this. She thinks the Guild got one over on her. It wounded her pride. Now she's trying to prove she's superior.”

If Decembrius had his doubts about the wisdom of the plan, he had no doubts about his own participation. He was still looking forward to flinging himself into battle, so he didn't voice his concerns to anyone else, for fear of damaging the werewolves' morale.

Heather and Beatrice, Markus's girlfriends, didn't support the plan at all. They hated the idea of Markus going off to fight, and were terrified he'd be killed. Even when Heather sneaked in to join Beatrice and Markus after dark, their nights were gloomy, and not enjoyable.

CHAPTER 145

The Fire Queen put down the scroll in front of her, and sighed. “I have lost confidence, First Minister.”

“Lost confidence, mighty Queen?”

“Yes, Xakthan. I know you will find it difficult to believe. My splendid rule continues, my frocks are unmatched and my subjects continue to revere me.”

“That is true,” said the loyal Xakthan. The Fire Queen's reign was continuing in splendid fashion, and her subjects did adore her. As for her frocks, he was prepared to take the Queen's word for it.

“Is there something in the new drainage scheme you're not certain of?”

Malveria scowled. “My knowledge of drainage schemes is slight. If you say it is satisfactory, I'll sign the order. But it is not drainage that troubles me. Ever since the malevolent Kabachetka was photographed for the ‘fashionable party people' page in
Vogue
, I have felt matters slipping away from me. What if she were to truly overtake me in matters of fashion?”

“That seems very unlikely.”

“Is it? Perhaps
Vogue
is trying to tell me something. Perhaps it is time for me to retire from matters of style, and spend my days wrapped in one of these dreadful old garments my mother used to wear, may she walk peacefully in the warm flames of the afterlife.”

First Minister Xakthan had never understood fashion, but did his best to reassure the Queen. “Does not Thrix MacRinnalch keep you ahead of the Empress?”

“She did. But Thrix has been too busy with werewolf affairs. And I fear she may die soon.”

“Die soon? Is she ill?”

“In a way. She is ill inside. She is obsessed with revenge, and has used
much difficult and harmful sorcery in an effort to attain it. It is burning her up. But that is not what will kill her.”

The Fire Queen gave her first minister a short account of recent events on Earth concerning the MacRinnalchs. “It is a very dangerous mission they embark on. I fear for Thrix. I would go with her but I cannot enter a dwelling of the stone dwarves. I have never regretted that before, but I do now. I wish they had not cursed me.”

“But the curse was worthwhile,” said Xakthan. “It happened because we destroyed their army. How we chased them from the field!”

First Minister Xakthan had fought that day, and he was proud of the memory.

“We did. But I wish I had not killed Gasanda. It has always been a source of regret.”

“You had no choice,” said Xakthan. “She was an invader.”

The Fire Queen sighed, and looked morose. “We had such fun when we were children.”

Xakthan was silent, unable to think of anything that might cheer her.

“So now I can't accompany Thrix. The worry has been affecting me. And this, added to the
Vogue
disaster, has quite drained my confidence. It has never struck me before, First Minister, but perhaps the reason I have not produced an heir is because no one would want to produce one with me.”

Xakthan was astonished to hear this, and would have rushed to reassure the Queen, had he not always found it both difficult and inappropriate to comment on the Queen's personal life. “I am sure that's not true at all,” was all he could manage and, even at that, he felt embarrassed.

“Really? There must be something wrong with me. Do you know that my dismal niece's efforts to find me a partner now extend to the Duke of the Black Castle?”

“I suspected as much.”

“You did? How?”

“I'm not quite as unobservant as you think.”

The Fire Queen managed a small smile. “I suppose you are not. One is tempted to throw Agrivex in the volcano for her impudence, and yet . . .” The Fire Queen raised her palms. “Is it so ridiculous? I suppose I must have some sort of consort if I am ever to produce an heir.”